Enhancement of Characteristics and Potential Applications of Amylases: A Brief Review

Abstract

Starch is the major storage carbohydrate of plant products. Amylases are the group of enzymes hydrolyzes starch and related polymers to smaller oligosaccharides and less amount of monosaccharide. Microbes are the major sources of amylases, exploited for large scale production in different industries. Recently, protein engineering has been applied to improve the structural and physicochemical properties of the enzyme for its potential applications. Amylases are mostly used for liquefaction of starch in the purpose of glucose, maltose, and high fructose containing syrup preparation, malto-oligosaccharides production, desizing, production of bio-fuel, detergent preparation, waste management, and preparation of digestive aids.